Some Remarks by Neal Stephenson – review
An interesting and entertaining collection of speeches, articles, interviews and short stories from the science-fiction novelist, writes PD Smith
The Lives of the Muses by Francine Prose – review
A fascinating book in which Prose shows the currents flowing between remarkable couples, dissecting the legends to reveal their messy human hearts, writes Victoria Segal
New Books Party: books received this week
GrrlScientist: This week, I tell you about three interesting books that arrived on my doorstep
Eyes Wide Open by Noreena Hertz – digested read
Trust nothing in life, except yourself (and this self-help book). John Crace reduces one economist's advice to 700 words
Expecting Better by Emily Oster – review
Does a glass of wine harm baby? Zoe Williams on why all the advice about pregnancy is wrong
The Novel Cure by Susan Elderkin and Ella Berthoud – review
Gavin Francis signs up for a course of bibliotherapy as a cure for emotional and physical pain
Eyes Wide Open by Noreena Hertz – review
A self-help book that practises what it preaches against still manages to deliver some practical life tips, says Steven Poole
The Wisdom of Psychopaths by Kevin Dutton – review
A book that goes beyond cliche to view the world through a psychopath's eyes, writes Victoria Segal
Life Lessons from… Bergson, Byron, Freud, Hobbes, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche – review
A series of books from Alain de Botton's School of Life project uses the ideas of six great thinkers as a path to self-improvement, writes Peter Conrad
Pregnancy: the hard facts
Economics professor Emily Oster's new book Expecting Better cuts through the myths and faulty data on pregnancy